


Mission Fail

by androgynousclintbarton



Category: Naruto
Genre: I put major character death warning, M/M, and I'm sorry, but it's not really, it's just kind of left up in the air, just gotta give it a good ol stomp XD, that heart of yours, ya i'm going to need it for a second
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:07:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29163141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/androgynousclintbarton/pseuds/androgynousclintbarton
Summary: Tenzo wakes up in Konoha general hospital with a splitting migraine and memories of a mission gone terribly wrong.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Yamato | Tenzou
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	Mission Fail

Consciousness is an experience created by the most talented interrogators. The kind of people that can bring pain to a person’s life without lifting a finger.

And pain is exactly what Tenzo felt when he drifted back to consciousness. A searing, screaming pain that started somewhere in the right side of his brain and emitted outwards.

It felt like someone was trying to drill down into his brain. The pain was so bad that even with his eyes closed he felt like he was going to vomit.

“Cat,” a voice calls beside him, hands coming down on his shoulders to stop him when he tries to curl into himself. “Cat, calm down please. You’ll rip the needle out of your arm if you’re not careful.”

Needle?

Cracking one eye open, Tenzo hissed when a blinding light hit his retina and made the already unbearable migraine a thousand times worse. He didn’t even see who it was trying to talk to him, or where he was, before he was forced to close his eyes again to block out the light.

“Lights!” The voice beside him called out to someone else, followed swiftly by the sound of movement. “It’s ok Cat, you’re safe. You’re at Konoha general hospital.”

Konoha?

How had he gotten back to Konoha when the only memory he can bring up past the excruciating pain in his head is his mission.

Two days.

They were still two days away from Konoha when Kakashi-senpai sensed someone closing in on them.

* * *

_“Tenzo,” Kakashi stopped suddenly, his eyes searching the area around them. “We have visitors.”_

_The tone in Kakashi’s voice tells him that whoever the visitors are they’re not friendly. Moving into a defensive position, he watched as his Senpai scanned the area. Searching out where exactly their enemy was._

_“Behind!” they both acted at the same time. Tenzo weaving his hands with ease and slamming them into the ground to produce a wooden wall in front of them just as an enemy came out of the bushes with their weapon drawn._

_While Tenzo’s wall slowed them down Kakashi burst out from the side and went straight for the attack. When he heard the clash of steel, Tenzo lowered the wall and started to weave signs for another Mokuton, this time intent on protecting his Senpai and helping him win the fight as quickly as possible._

_Unfortunately, it seemed that their enemy was fast. Before he could finish his jutsu he found himself faced with a second shinobi directly in front of him, and their fist hit him square in the jaw Hard._

_Enough to send him flying backwards into the ground._

_“Tenzo!” Kakashi’s voice is distant, and for some reason Tenzo feels like he had just been hit by a cart. His head is spinning from just the one punch._

_“Are we fighting Gai?” He groaned, bringing a hand up to his head as the world spins around him. “That’s not…that’s not fair…”_

_If he had known he was fighting someone fast and incredible strong, he would have reacted appropriately. Instead they hid behind their partner and waited for him to be mid jutsu to attack. It was rude._

_“Are you alright?” Opening his eyes, Tenzo looked up to see his Senpai standing directly in front of him. He wasn’t sure when exactly Kakashi had gotten there, or even how he had gotten past the enemy to be able to protect Tenzo like this, but he certainly appreciated it._

_“Fine just…need a moment…” His head was splitting. For one hit the enemy sure had done a lot of damage to his ability to think or focus._

_A minute wasn’t something that was granted to him. Before he could even hope to recoup, Tenzo found himself face to face with the same bastard who had hit him. Somehow, the slick bastard had gotten past Kakashi._

_Guarding himself was the only option he had. There was no time to weave signs for a jutsu, and there was already a fist flying towards his face so grabbing his weapon was out of the question. His arms surged up, getting between the enemies fist and his face just in time. Unfortunately, that same sheer strength was waiting behind the enemies attack._

_Tenzo screamed when he felt his bone crack under the pressure._

_“Get away!” A foot came crashing against the enemies head, sending him flying off to the side._

_Staggering backwards, Tenzo watched as his Senpai took position in front of him once again. This time leaving no space for anyone to get behind him. How he had managed to land a hit on such a fast bastard Tenzo would never know._

_“It’s something in the air,” Kakashi’s voice is calm even in this situation. “Something slowing us down.”_

_Damn it. No wonder he couldn’t keep up to the bastard._

_“Just stay down, Tenzo,” Kakashi orders. “I’ll get us out of here.”_

_He’s about to protest. Scream that he can protect himself and help get them out of this alive. That he doesn’t need protection._

_He doesn’t get a chance._

_Before he can even open his mouth there’s an attack headed their way, and Kakashi’s guarding him with his whole body. Every muscle in his body screams to move. To grab Kakashi’s uniform and pull him out of the way._

_As soon as he tries to move, though, his head starts spinning. Sending him crashing back to his knees and forcing him to sit there. Forcing him to do nothing as Kakashi meets the attack head on with his own, and to watch as the enemies attack cuts through Kakashi like butter._

_There’s blood everything._

_He can feel it on his face._

_Tastes it on his lips._

_And he can see it everywhere. Staining the ground in front of him._

* * *

Tenzo surged upright in his bed, his eyes scanning the room franticly for any sign of Kakashi. Searching desperately for his team captain.

His best friend.

That reckless, selfless, idiot that he couldn’t force himself to stop loving with all of his heart no matter how hard he tried.

A hand came down on his shoulder, pulling his attention over to his side. He hopes it’s Kakashi. Wishes that it was Kakashi and he could stop worrying so he can lay down and close his eyes again. Block out that little bit of light that dug deep into his eyes and set his brain on fire.

He’s disappointed to find himself face to face with fox instead. A hard, concentrated look on the thirteen year old’s face.

“Senpai,” there’s panic in his voice, but for once he doesn’t care. He needs to know. Even if the answer will break his heart. “Fox, tell me that Senpai made it back with me.”

Fox’s face softens, but he can’t tell if that’s good or bad. If he’s about to be told something that will shatter him, or heal his already aching heart.

“Hound was the one who brought you home,” that’s good. That means Kakashi made it back. He had survived the battle and dragged both of them home, even after getting hit. “He was in bad shape. The doctors are surprised he was able to walk at all, but Gai-san said it was because he wanted to get you home safe. To keep his promise.”

There’s information missing from Fox’s explanation. Not once did he say whether or not Kakashi was still alive. All he had done was confirm that he had made it back home with Tenzo.

“Tell me he’s alive,” his words are met with a sad look, and suddenly every bit of pain he had been feeling in his head is drowned out by a crushing sorrow. “Fox…please…”

“He’s not…dead,” Itachi winces when the words leave his mouth. Tenzo’s heart shatters when he hears the way Itachi says it. That hopeless, sad tone of voice he’s using. “But, he’s not…the doctors aren’t sure he’ll…”

He doesn’t finish his sentence. There’s no need for him to. Tenzo understands immediately what he’s trying to say.

The hopeless of the situation sinks in, and slowly the pounding migraine starts to come back. Finding a common ground with his broken heart to ensure it wasn’t just his soul that was in pain.

“They’re trying, cat,” Itachi reached out and placed a hand over his, not mentioning the tears that had started to roll down Tenzo’s cheeks. “And you know how stubborn he can be. He’ll make it. I’m sure of it.”

The words are reassuring, but the voice gives away Itachi’s real feelings. The sense of lose deep down inside of his gut as he processes what might happen.

Tenzo doesn’t have the strength to hide away like Itachi, though. Maybe it’s because he has known Kakashi longer. Or perhaps it’s because he loves Kakashi so deeply. The man who took his hand and pulled him out of Root into a better life. A calmer, more accepting life.

Itachi’s losing a friend and mentor.

Tenzo’s losing the love of his life.

Their pain is in no way similar, and Tenzo knows that for a fact because there’s not a tear on Itachi’s face while he’s unable to keep them from falling.


End file.
